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Saturday, December 15, 2012

Hero

Today, I heard a radio advertisement telling men to buy their women jewelry so as to be "your wife's hero." It struck me - is that really our definition?? Our husbands are heroes if they buy us pretty baubles? It immediately made me think of what happened at dinner last night.

We were wrapping up our favorite family tradition - Pizza Night. Every Friday we go to the same mom-and-pop pizza buffet. We've been going there now for over two years, and it's like being with family. Last night, we were gathering the kids and leaving around at around 7:15. I started hustling the kids out to the car while hubby paid the tab and chatted with the owner.

As I was loading kids into the mini-van, a homeless man walked past. I'll be honest, I tensed up. He was older, he looked to be drunk, he was disheveled and sporting a pretty mean black eye. He looked tough, desperate, and not in his right mind. As he was walking past, my husband came out of the restaurant. The guy turned to him and said "Hey, could you spare some change?"

Hubby said "What do you need it for?" "I'm trying to get a bus ticket so I can go apply for a job," the man said. "I don't think anyone's hiring at this hour," hubby replied. "Well, it's for tomorrow morning," the man said.

My husband looked at him and said "I don't have any change, but how about I set you up with some food? Are you hungry?" "Well, yeah," the guy said, sounding incredulous. My husband took him into the restaurant and paid for him to get the buffet and a drink. He asked his name, asked him about his shiner, set up one of the cooks to help him, then paid his meal and told him "God bless you, stay safe" before leaving. And when we got home, he said to me "It makes me so sad. Sure, he got to eat tonight, but he's going to be sleeping on the streets and it's cold and dangerous and I wish I could have done more." He's prayed for the man that night and again today.

I'm proud to have such a compassionate, loving, caring, selfless man as my husband. I told him later that I am so proud of him, to see him be an example of Christ's love like that. He shrugged it off. He'll probably be embarrassed that I'm telling this story, because he didn't do it to brag or boast or show off.

This is why I love my husband. Who he is inside is worth more than a million pretty pieces of jewelry. You can't get true character by spending money. You get it by treating others with decency and value, no matter what. By having respect and honesty and compassion. By shining the light of Christ into this world in action and deed. That's a real hero to me.